Page 175 of As The Shifter World Turns

I rushed to the bathroom, passing a sleeping Elune in her crib to find my mate on the floor, his hands pressed against the toilet seat. Poor guy.

“You okay?” I asked, squatting down beside him.

“I think so. Can you go to the drug store?” He never looked up, his face still facing the porcelain throne.

“Sure. What do you need? Ginger Ale?” I could get that at the convenient store, I realized. “Or Pepto?”

“More like a pregnancy test.” Before I could even grasp what he said, he began to puke again.

I waited until he was cleaned up and lying down before heading out. He swore he was fine and didn’t need to lay down, but given our daughter was sleeping there was zero reason for him not to.

A baby. My mate and I might be having another baby. I loved the idea of growing our family. Beyond loved it and with me not working, maybe it was the perfect time. I could help Archer through the first trimester when he wasexhausted and nauseous.

But part of me worried it was too soon. How long were omegas supposed to wait between births? Two years stuck in my head but was that a thing about siblings or was it about the health of the omega?

I ran into the pharmacy and grabbed one of each test, not wanting to stop and read the boxes to figure out the best one. I also grabbed some ginger ale, crackers, and ginger mints. The man at the register looked at all of the tests and just rang them up without comment. I appreciated it. There was no way I didn’t look like an in over his head first time dad with my purchase.

Patch was waiting for me as I came in the door. “Sorry, buddy. I need to take care of Dad first.”

I set the bags on the counter and walked into the bedroom to find my mate sound asleep and slid in beside him. He snuggled into me, still mostly asleep. I wrapped my arm around him, listening to his breathing until my eyes closed.

“Micah,” Archer’s voice pulled me from my slumber. “Micah, I took them all.”

I sat up straight, instantly awake. “And?”

“We’re going to have another baby.” He threw his arms around me. “We’re going to be dads again.”

We were going to be dads again!

73

OH, BABY!

Ivor

I rubbed the small of my back as I heaved myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Walking, or waddling, from the bedroom to the toilet was a well-traveled route and I could do it blind-folded. Not that I would because I’d trip.

As I climbed back into bed, I groaned, knowing I’d never get comfortable. I needed this baby out and I rubbed my belly, wanting to hold my daughter in my arms and not be pregnant any more.

My belly cramped a little and I winced. I’d been having these small contractions on and off over the past few days.

“You okay, love?” Ryder was lying on his stomach and he stuck his head up, one eye open.

“Braxton Hicks.”

“Who?” He flopped back onto the mattress. “I don’t remember anyone of that name.”

“The false contractions that prepare your body for birth.”

“Oh those,” he mumbled, his face in the pillow.

Minutes later, he was snoring and I was still awake. But two hours later, I shook his shoulder, my belly cramping uncomfortably. “Ryder, we need to get to the hospital.”

“Now?” He leaped out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants he’d thrown over a chair last night.

“Mmmm. I called the hospital and they said to come in.” My bag had been beside the door for a week and I handed Ryder the car keys and his phone. Heopened the front door. “Mouth wash, babe.'' While I had toiletries in my bag, I didn’t want to deal with my mate’s manky breath while driving to the hospital.

Ryder helped me into the back seat of the car because I needed space, but the ride to the hospital was interminable. We’d driven this route many times and yet today we hit every traffic light.

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